Wheel.



W. E. BABBITT WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.5, 1911,

1,076,735; Patented 001;. 28, 1913.

Q E I:

I IHHH COLUMN A PLANOGRAFH 60.. WASHINGTON, Dv c4 UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 28, 1913.

Application filed December 5, 1911'. Serial at. 664,040;

T 0 all whom 515mm concern Be it known that l, WALKER EoMANDs BABBITT, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Worcester, in the county of Vvorcester and State of lVlassachuSetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wheels for motor vehicles and its object is to provide a wheel of sufficient resiliency without the employment of pneumatic tires.

The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is: a plan View of the outer side of the hub with the air tank partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the top of the hub. Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line AA Fig. 1 with the air tank partly l on the ring and with their free ends engaging the slots in the annuli as described; the sliding members 12, 13, ll, 15 are in their {extreme rearward position, the chambers then being of their largest dimensions; the rubber bulbs lie in the chambers unco1nbroken away. Fig. 4 is a detailed View in perspectiveshowing the arrangement of the sliding members so called.

The wheel is furnished with the ring 1, on which are fu-lcrulned the forked levers 2, 3, 4, 5, furnished with free outer ends 2, 3, 4:, 5 and furnished on their ful crumed ends with guiding lugs 2 3 1 5". These levers" form a frame or support 6 for the hub 7 adapted" to engage radially the inner sidewof said forked levers and furnished' radially with a reduced central extension 7 adapted to engage laterally the under side of said forked levers; said extension 7 being furnished laterally with lugs 7 7, 7 7, adaptedto engage radially the outer side of said forked levers. annuli 8', 9,10, 11 are furnished with slots 839 10, 11 projections 8 8 9 9 10*, 10 11, 11" and ratchet teeth 8, 9, 10, 11 and are rotatablymounted on the outer side of. and concentrically with ring 1, being held radially and laterally thereon by said guiding lugs 2 3, 1, 5"; the said annuli 9 and 11 and compress the bulb 19 free outer ends of saidv forked levers engaging'said: slotsand thereby limiting and controlling the rotatabili-ty of said annuli. Sliding members 12, 13, 141 and 15 are disposed ci-rcumferentially and oppositely be tween said projections and said ratchet teeth and are furnished forwardly and oppositely with flanges12 13, 14?, 15 adapted to engage the forward ends of said projections and. be. actuated forwardly thereby, and are also furnishedrearwardly with flanges 12 14" adapted to engage the forward faces of said ratchet teeth and thereby lock said slid- The I the load the bulb 18,. being gradually re ing members in their forward position when their forward flanges are in contact. These sliding members with the annuli form two expansible chambers 16, 1.7 with circumferentially moving walls adapted to approach or recede from each other, thereby making the chamber smaller or larger. .lVithin the chambers 16 and 17 aredisposed the rubber bulbs 18, 19, which are connected by tubes 20 with the air supply tank 21 mounted on the ring. Spokes 22 are adapted to connect the inner ring with an outer rim not shown.

The operation of the wheel is as follows: The wheel is assumed to rotate clockwise as indicated by the arrow Fig. 1. In Fig. 1

the wheel is shown in its normal operative position, but without any load, the hub 7,

hub extension 7 and lugs 7", 7, 7, 7 engaging the several forked levers fulcrumed lug 7 will compress lever 2 to the same ,extent, thereby rotating the annuli S and 3 10, advancing the sliding members 12 and 13 and compressing the bulb 18; as the wheel rotates, the load passes gradually from the forked lovers 2. and 3 until, after a quarter revolution of the wheel, it rests upon levers 41- and 5' and durm this )assaee of lieved of pressure,ntends to assumeits normal shape, thereby actuating slid ng members l2, l3 and annuh 8, 10' rearwardly and returning the forked levers 2 and 3 to their normal position; while the forked levers 1 and 5 beinggradually depressed actuate the all as described; when the wheel has made a half revolution, the load has again grad uailly passed to the first named forked levers 2 and 3 and depressed them, but in the opposite direction to that. of their original depression, and has again actuated the sliding inembers 12 and 13 forwardly, thereby jsired resiliency. If for any reason a bulb should burst permitting the sliding walls of the bulb chamber to come together, the rear flange of the sliding members, 12 or 14, will be engaged by the forward face of the corresponding ratchet teeth, thereby locking the sliding members together; and when this occurs, the hub is locked in its normal central position in which it will remain. I have shown additional guiding lugs 1 on ring 1 for the annuli. Fig. 4 shows the arrangement of sliding members 1 1 and 15, which is similar to that of sliding members 12 and 13.

It might be added that, should one of the bulbs, for example bulb 18, burst and the sliding members 12, 13 be locked together as described preventing further rotatability of the annuli 8, 10, then the'annuli 9, 11

and the bulb 19 would continue to operate;

and that, should both bulbs burst, then all the annuli would cease to rotate leaving the hub centrally disposed.

I claim:

1. A wheel of the character described comprising, in combination, a ring; a plurality of forked levers fulcrumed thereon and forming a frame; a hub disposed in said frame and furnished with a plurality of lugs, said hub and said lugs engaging said levers; a plurality of annuli rotatably mounted on said ring and engaged by said levers; a plurality of sliding members disposed on said annuli and forming eX- pansible chambers there-on; means disposed on said annuli for locking said sliding members; bulbs disposed in said chambers; an air supply tank disposed on said ring; and tubes connecting said bulbs with said tank; substantially as described.

2. A'wheel of the character described comprising, in combination, a ring; a plurality of levers fulcrumed thereon and forming a frame; a hub disposed in said frame and furnished with a plurality of lugs, said hub and said lugs engaging said levers; a plurality of annuli rotatably mounted on said ring and engaged by said levers; a plurality of sliding members disposed on said annuli and forming expansible chambers thereon; means disposed on said annuli for locking said sliding members; bulbs disposed in said chambers; an air supply tank disposed on said ring; and tubes connecting said bulbs with said tank; substantially as described.

3. A wheel of the character described comprising, in combination, a ring; a plurality of forked levers fulcrumed thereon and forming a frame; a hub disposed in said frame and engaging said levers; a plurality of annuli rotatably mounted on said ring and engaged by said levers; a plurality of sliding members disposed on said annuli and forming expansible chambers thereon; means disposed on said annuli for locking said sliding members; bulbs disposed in said chambers; an air supply tank disposed on said ring; and tubes connecting said bulbs with said tank; substantially as described.

4. A wheel of the character described comprising, in combination, a ring; a plurality of levers fulcrumed thereon and forming a frame; a hub disposed in said frame and engaging said levers; a plurality of annuli rotatably mounted on said ring and engaged by said levers; a plurality of sliding members disposed on said annuli and forming expansible chambers thereon; means disposed on said annuli for locking said sliding members; bulbs disposed in said chambers; an air supply tank disposed on said ring; and tubes connecting said bulbs with said tank; substantially as described.

5. A W186i of the character described comprising, in combination, a ring; a plurality of forked levers fulcrumed thereon and forming a frame; a hub disposed in said frame and furnished with a plurality of lugs, said hub and said lugs engaging said levers; a plurality of annuli rotatably mounted on saidring and engaged by said levers; a plurality of sliding members disposed on said annuli and forming expansible chambers thereon; means disposed on said annuli for locking said sliding members; bulbs disposed in said chambers; substantially as described.

6. A wheel of the character described comprising, in combination, a ring; a plurality of levers fulcrumed thereon and forming a frame; a hub disposed in said frame and furnished With a plurality of lugs, said hub and said lugs engaging said levers; a plurality of annuli rotatably mounted on said ring and engaged by said levers; a plurality of sliding members disposed on said annuli and forming expansible chambers thereon; means disposed on said annuli for locking said sliding members; bulbs disposed in said chambers; substantially as described.

7. A wheel of the character described comprising, in combination, a ring; a plurality of forked levers fulcrumed thereon and forming a frame; a hub disposed in said frame and engaging said levers; a plurality of annuli rotatably mounted on said ring and engaged by said levers; a plurality of sliding members disposed on said annuli and forming expansible chambers thereon; means disposed on said annuli for locking said sliding members; bulbs disposed in said chambers; substantially as described.

8. A wheel of the character described comprising, in combination, a ring; a plurality of levers fulcrumed thereon and forming a frame; a hub disposed in said frame and engaging said levers; a plurality of annuli rotatably mounted on said ring and forming expansible chambers thereon; means disposed on said annuli for locking said sliding members; bulbs disposed in said chambers; substantially as described.

9. A Wheel of the character described comprising, in combination, a ring; a plurality of levers fulcrumed thereon and forming a frame; a hub disposed in said frame and engaging said levers; a plurality of annuli rotatably mounted on said ring and engaged by said levers; and a resilient body suitably disposed and adapted to be compressed by said annuli; substantially as described.

10. A Wheel of the character described comprising, in combination, a ring; a plurality of levers fulcrumed thereon and forming a frame; a hub disposed in said frame and engaging said levers; a plurality of annuli rotatably mounted on said ring and engaged by said levers; a resilient body suitably disposed and adapted to be compressed by said annuli; and means for locking said annuli and preventing their rotation; substantially as described.

11. A wheel of the character described comprising, in combination, a ring; a plurality of levers fulcrumed thereon and forming a frame; a hub disposed in said frame and engaging said levers; a plurality of annuli rotatably mounted on said ring and engaged by said levers; and resilient means suitably disposed for controlling the rotatability of said annuli; substantially as described.

12. A Wheel of the character described comprising, in combination, a ring; a plurality of levers fulcrumed thereon and forming a frame; a hub disposed in said frameand engaging said levers; a plurality of annuli rotatably mounted on said ring and engaged by said levers; resilient means suitably disposed for controlling the rotatability of said annuli; and means suitably disposed for locking said annuli and preventing their rotation; substantially as described.

13. A Wheel of the character described comprising in combination a ring; a plurality of forked levers fulcrumed thereon and forming a frame; a hub disposed in said frame and furnished With a plurality of lugs; said hub and said lugs engaging said levers; the free outer ends of said levers engaging resiliently said ring.

14. A Wheel of the character described comprising in combination a ring; a plurality of levers fulcrumed thereon and forming a frame; a hub disposed in said frame and furnished with a plurality of lugs; said hub and said lugs engaging said levers; the free outer ends of said levers engaging resiliently said ring.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

W. EDMANDS BABBITT.

Witnesses RALPH W. Fos'rnn, FRANCIS H. BLACKW'ELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

